Stuffed Pepper Pasta

🫑🧀 Stuffed Pepper Pasta
All the cozy flavors of classic stuffed peppers—ground beef, bell peppers, tomatoes, rice-like pasta, and melted cheese—turned into an easy one-pot meal.
Ingredients
1 lb (450 g) ground beef
12 oz (340 g) penne or rotini pasta
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz / 425 g) tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 oz / 411 g) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups beef broth
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, optional
Instructions
Brown the beef:
Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion. Cook for 5–7 minutes, breaking up the meat, until browned. Drain excess grease if needed.
Add the peppers and garlic:
Stir in the diced green and red peppers. Cook for 3–4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
Build the sauce:
Stir in tomato paste, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Add the pasta:
Stir in the uncooked pasta. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
Simmer:
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 12–15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add a splash of broth or water if the mixture becomes too thick before the pasta is cooked.
Add the cheese:
Remove from heat. Stir in about ½ cup mozzarella. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and cheddar over the top.
Melt:
Cover for 3–5 minutes, until the cheese melts. For a browned, bubbly top, place the skillet under the broiler for 1–2 minutes, watching carefully.
Serve:
Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.
⭐ Optional Add-Ins
Replace ground beef with ground turkey or Italian sausage.
Add 1 cup cooked rice for an extra-hearty stuffed-pepper flavor.
Add red pepper flakes for heat.
Stir in a handful of spinach before adding the cheese.